The Block heads to former Sunbury psychiatric hospital site

Reality TV show The Block is making its way to Sunbury on Melbourne’s north-west outskirts next year after acquiring three heritage buildings from the Victorian government.

The show will turn three heritage buildings at the former Sunbury psychiatric hospital site into five family homes.

It is also going to help knock a few coins off the government ledger – who knew The Block would end up helping out the state budget?

Nine, the owner of this masthead, confirmed the purchase at its Upfront programming announcement on Thursday with the Sunbury location being described as “the most ambitious project in the show’s history”.

The three grand heritage buildings at Jacksons Hill in Sunbury that are to be given a Block glow up are thought to be the former Female Infirmary Ward, Female Admission and Special Wards building, and former hospital.

Just what price was placed on the heritage buildings is unclear. CBD reached out to the various government departments – it was a bit of merry-go-round to find out who had agency over the site – on Thursday to get some answers. We are hoping to hear back in due course.

It is unlikely to have been a cheap buy. The Block has a long history of forking out substantial amounts for its locations.

It paid $8.7 million for the Phillip Island site of the show in 2024, $11 million for the Gisborne South farmland location in 2022, $14.9 million for a site in New Street, Brighton in 2020, $10 million for the then dilapidated Gatwick Hotel in St Kilda in 2018 and $10.8 million for the former Oslo Hotel in St Kilda in 2019.

The Block, which this year was located at Mount Eliza on the Mornington Peninsula, will see Scott Cam and Shelley Craft return as hosts in 2027 in what will be the show’s 23rd season.

The Sunbury psychiatric hospital site was constructed 170 years ago as an industrial school. It later became a psychiatric hospital and most recently has been used as a university campus.

Sunbury, located about 40 minutes from the Melbourne CBD, is perhaps best known as the birthplace of The Ashes.

‘Everything is for sale’: Former Geelong mayor quits Oz

Having quit Australia to become a citizen of the world, what else is there for Darryn Lyons, the controversial former Geelong mayor, ex-paparazzo and occasional reality TV participant, to do but have a clearing sale of epic proportions.

As part of his decamping from Down Under, Lyons is divesting himself of his horde – 1093 items to be exact – that was housed in his two Geelong homes via an enormous seven-part online auction.

Everything from a Lamborghini once owned by Rod Stewart to pots and pans, luxury Cartier, Rolex and Franck Muller watches, designer shoes, Cartier bracelets, Louis Vuitton luggage and bags, designer sunglasses by the likes of Dior, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Givenchy and Marc Jacobs, statues of lions, reproduction Louis XV furniture, a vibronic exercise machine that promises “whole body vibration”, a taxidermied leopard skin rug with a preserved head and glass eyes, a taxidermied antelope head, an air fryer, and even a microwave by the Kmart house brand Anko.

Of course, how could we forget oddities like the signed framed photo of Who Dares Wins co-host Tania Zaetta, a gold-toned pin commemorating his mayoral stint and the copy of his own book, Mr Paparazzi, that are up for grabs?

Lyons was a self-styled emperor of Geelong during his 2013 to 2016 mayoral reign before his term ended when he along with the rest of the Greater Geelong City Council were booted by the state government after an inquiry commissioned by then local government minister Natalie Hutchins found the council had become dysfunctional and riven with conflict.

Currently in Thailand, Lyons told CBD he had quit Australia and was shedding his belongings because “Albo has f—ed the country”. Lyons, who was a Liberal-leaning mayor, has been a loud critic of the Albanese government, particularly in recent months.

“I came into this world with nothing, and I’ll leave it with nothing,” Lyons told us.

“I’ve spent a lifetime collecting houses, cars, art and beautiful things, but eventually, you realise possessions don’t make a life – experiences do. I left Australia once with $500 and a dream, and it changed my life. Now I’m doing it again, only this time the world is my home. Everything is for sale – except my freedom.”

Bidding is open on the items through Lloyds Auctions and closes at the end of October.

Meanwhile, Lyons is still looking for a buyer for his Geelong home and recently savagely slashed the asking price.

Known as “Lyons View”, the lavish seven-bedroom home on The Esplanade was listed seven months ago with an asking price of between $7.7 million and $8.3 million. In early August the price range was revised down to between $5.7 million and $6.2 million.

A second four-bedroom home, owned by Lyons, sold at auction late last month with an asking price of $1.4 million to $1.5 million. What it actually made at auction is yet to be disclosed.

Coffee stop for Carroll

Even Premiers deserve that most Melbourne of morning appointments – a coffee break.

Premier Ben Carroll was spotted on Thursday catching up with someone who has been there, done that – former Labor premier Steve Bracks.

The pair are, of course, close with Bracks being something of a mentor to Carroll. Carroll started his career as a junior advisor in Bracks’ office way back in 2000.

They weren’t hiding their coffee catch-up, having a cuppa at the cafe in the foyer of the building that houses the parliamentary press gallery offices in Collins Street.

At the table were Carroll’s chief of staff Julie Ligeti, deputy chief of staff Bassel Tallal and senior advisor Mounir Kiwan. With the long list of problems for Carroll to solve, you would imagine they had plenty to talk about.

One Nation role up for grabs

One Nation is staffing up for the state election with a job vacancy being posted for an executive assistant whose gig it would be to run the diary of Victoria’s state president and lead candidate, Warren Pickering.

The eight-page job description spotted by CBD made it clear it is looking for someone with C-suite senior executive assistant experience who can be the “single point of coordination for his [Pickering’s] time, his commitments, his communications and his public appearances, so that he is in the right place, at the right time, prepared, briefed, and never blindsided”.

However, the twist is that the role is voluntary.

“This is a full-time volunteer role. It is an unpaid role,” the job description read.

It also noted it was “not a first EA role and is not a training opportunity.”

While money isn’t on the table, the role promises to give the lucky applicant “a ringside seat at the most consequential Victoria state election campaign in history”, reimbursement of pre-approved out-of-pocket expenses, written recognition of service at the conclusion of the campaign, and “the satisfaction of having materially contributed to the outcome of the election for One Nation”.

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